There’s nothing like a fresh pastry and coffee (or tea) to get me going in the morning. Downtown Vancouver has two new options for breakfast, lunch and dessert baked goods: Je T’aime bakery and The Village Pearl Bakeshop.

Both shops use zero preservatives and bake everything from scratch daily.

Je T’taime in Uptown Village is a different style of bakery for the area. It has more of a “European, rustic style,” said Claire Ghormley as she rolled out a batch of bacon cheese biscuits. Ghormley opened Je T’aime in December with co-owner, Cinnamon Miller. The set-up is unique, with an outdoor counter covered by a newly built pergola. “We wanted to do something different on the street, something that is welcoming but also quick.”

Ghormley touts her croissants and rightfully so. I find most croissants fairly bland. But the almond croissant from Je T’aime is packed with flavor. It was crisp on the outside, perfectly fluffy on the inside and, overall, wonderful. A dusting of powdered sugar on top adds a hint of sweetness that combines with the buttery deliciousness of the pastry. It’s a bit spendy ($2.50), but it’s worth it.

I also tried a divine piece of opera cake, an almond cake with coffee and chocolate cutter cream and chocolate syrup, as well as a sampling of baguette—a recipe that took Ghormley a month and a half to perfect.

The shop offers daily bread specials: danishes, puff pastries, macaroons, plenty of cakes and more. The shop also specializes in custom cakes and is pushing its service for wedding cakes. Ghormley noted that they are not claiming to be the best bakery in town, not wanting to directly compete with well-respected bakeries already running like Julia’s Bakery in Rose Village, but simply trying to offer something different and make the downtown better.

Judy Schumacher turned her love of feeding people into The Village Pearl Bakery. The shop, across the street from Burgerville, offers everything from artisan breads to homemade fudge. The shop doesn’t come with any frills, just good fashioned bakes. “This is what your family would bake for you,” Schumacher said.

Schumacher and her husband, Mike, own The Village Pearl gift shop in Uptown Village. She has always loved baking for family and decided to share her gifts with other by opening a bakeshop. The go-to menu item here is Schumacher’s cinnamon rolls ($2.50). Doused in butter and heated up, it’s the best cinnamon roll I’ve had since I can remember. I also grabbed a loaf of jalapeno cheese bread that served as a perfect mid-day meal when toasted and buttered.

The shop also sells pies, cupcakes, muffins, turnovers and more, and features Kobos coffee out of Portland. Catering and custom orders are also available.

Je T’aime, 2413 Main Street, 597-3511, is open Tuesday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., and will be opening on Sundays soon.

The Village Pearl Bakeshop, 316 E. Mill Plain Blvd., 750-6670, is open Monday through Friday, 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Saturday from 7 a.m. to about 2:30 p.m.